Governor



Feb. 10, 1942. A. B. RA'USCH GOVERNOR Filed July 11, 1940 Patented Feb.10, 1942 UNlTED sr 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved governor which is moreparticularly intended for use with internal combustion engines.

One object of the invention is to provide a governor which will beoperative after the vehicle has reached a predetermined speed, forshutting off the flow of fuel to the carburetor of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a governor which will bedriven from the drive shaft end of the transmission so that saidgovernor will not be placed in operation when the vehicle is operatingin either low or second gear.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which may be readily attached to a motor vehicle and whichwill be highly effective in use for preventing the operation of saidvehicle at an excessive speed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a governor whereinthe switch employed may be shifted so that the speed at which thegovernor becomes effective may be predetermined.

Other and incidental objects of the invention, not particularlymentioned hereinbefore, will become apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motor vehicle, the view being brokenaway to show the positions of the parts of my governor,

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the governor unitemployed,

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the carburetorcontrol unit, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail plan view showing the mounting of thethrottle breaker arm.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, whereinlike numerals of reference will be seen to designate like partsthroughout the various views, the numeral I indicates a motor vehicle ofconventional design. The motor is shown generally at 2 and thecarburetor at 3. The carburetor throttle arm is shown at t.

The vehicle I includes a conventional dashboard 5 on which is mounted aspeedometer 6. The speedometer is connected to the drive shaft of thevehicle I by means of a cable 1. While the drive shaft itself is notshown, it should be understood that said shaft, together with theconnection between the shaft and the cable I, is entirely conventional.The cable I is divided into two sections, i. e., section I and section lMy improved governor includes a governor unit which is shown generallyat 8. The governor unit includes a casing 9 which may be of rectangularor any other suitable shape. The casing includes end walls II) and IIand side walls I2 and I3, the side wall I2 being formed with alongitudinally extending slot I4.

Extending through the casing throughout its length and projecting fromeach end thereof is a governor shaft I5. The governor shaft has endportions I6 and I1 which are connected, respectively, to the sections Iand l of the speedometer cable I. Alined bearings I8 and I9 are mountedon the end walls It and I I and are projected to define coupling sleeves20 and 2|. Couplings 22 are screwed on each of the caps and serveeffectively to connect the sections I and l to the ends of the governorshaft I5.

Mounted on the governor shaft to turn therewith near the end wall I I isa collar 23. The collar is held against turning'movement on the shaft bymeans of a pin 24'. A collar 25 is freely mounted on the shaft I5 and isnormally located near the end wall IIl. Surrounding the shaft I5 is acoiled spring 26, said coiled spring normally retaining the collars inextended spaced relation to each other. Each of the collars 23 and 25 isprovided with yokes 21, and extending between corresponding alined yokeson the collars are governor weight elements 28. While two of theelements are shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, it should be understoodthat three of said governor weight elements will normally be em ployed.Obviously, however, any suitable number may be used. Each of thegovernor weight elements includes a weight 29 and connecting straps 30and SI. The connecting straps 30 have corresponding outer endsswingingly connected to the yokes and corresponding inner endsswingingly connected to pins 32 on the weights 29. The connecting straps3!, similarly, have corresponding outer ends swingingly connected to theyokes 21 on the collar 23 and corresponding inner ends swinginglyconnected to pins 33 on the weights 29.

Fixed to the outer face of the collar 25 is a governor disk 34. It willnow be understood, it is believed, that, when the shaft I5 is rotated ata high rate of speed, the collar 23 will be rotated, and such rotativemovement will be transmitted to the collar 25 and the disk 34 throughthe governor weight elements 28. As the speed of the governor sha'ft I5increases, centrifugal force will cause the weights 29 to move radiallywith the result that the straps 30 and 3I will cause the collar 25 toshift longitudinally of the shaft l and against the tension of thespring 26.

Mounted on the wall [2 and within the slot [4 is a switch 35, saidswitch including a pair of contact members 36 and 31, the contactmembers each having a contact 38. The switch 35 includes a pair ofspaced plates 39 and 46 which are held in straddling relationship to themargins of the opening 14 by screws 4|. It will be understood that thescrews 4| may be loosened for shifting the switch longitudinally withinthe slot, for reasons to be described in more detail hereinafter. Thecontact member 36 is, as will be seen, formed with an arm or reed 46which arm is provided with a bent portion 40., said portion 40 beingdirected toward the wall [2. The arm and bent portion are provided forpermitting return of the disk 34 to inoperative position in the eventthat said disk should move past the switch, as might happen if thevehicl should gain a higher speed than that for which the governor wasset, when coasting down hill. Attention is called to the fact that thedisk is provided with a rounded edge to insure smooth engagement withthe arm 46 There will now be described the carburetor control unit whichis shown in longitudinal section in Figure 3 of the drawing. Thecarburetor control unit includes a housing 44 which is of rectangular orany other suitable shape. The housing 44 includes a rear wall 45 and topand bottom walls 46 and 41. A front wall 48 is, of course, alsoprovided. The bottom wall 4'! has mounted on the outer surface thereof ahemispherical connecting bracket 49, said bracket receiving a ball 50therein and said ball 56 being connected to a mounting strap 5!, saidmounting strap being located conveniently with respect to the carburetor3 of the motor vehicle. The purpose of the cooperating bracket 49 andball 56 is to insure a slight amount of flexibility of mounting for thecarburetor control unit so that the throttle, to be mentionedhereinafter, will be permitted to work without binding.

Mounted on the rear wall 45 of the housing 44 is a solenoid magnet 52,said magnet including a coil 53, a tube 54, and a plunger 55, saidplunger being slidable within the tube. As shown in dotted lines inFigure 3, the plunger 55 is formed at its inner end with a socket 56 andsaid socket receives one end of a compression coiled spring 51, theopposite end of said coiled spring being anchored to a lug 58 on thewall 45 axially within the tube 54. As seen in Figure 3, the spring 51normally urges the plunger to its outermost position.

The plunger 55 is formed with an axially located forwardly extendingintegral stem 59, said stem having a reduced portion 60 terminating in aball 6!, said ball being located in a longitudinally extending slot 62which is formed in a throttle breaker arm 63. A cover plate 64 overliesthe throttle breaker arm and serves the purpose of retaining the ball inposition within the slot. It will be understood, however, that the ballmay move longitudinally within the slot as the throttle breaker arm isshifted, in a manner to be described hereinafter.

As shown in Figure 4 of the drawing, the throttle breaker arm 62 ismounted for vertical sliding movement between a pair of guides 65, saidguides being mounted on the wall 48 and extending vertically throughoutthe height of said wall. The guide 65 also guides the throttle rodelements 66 and 61. The throttle rod element 66 has its upper endconnected with the carburetor throttle arm 4 and its lower end normallyin engagement with the upper end of the throttle breaker arm 63. Theupper end of the throttle rod element 61 is normally in engagement withthe lower end of the throttle breaker arm and the lower end of saidelement 61 is connected with the accelerator by means of necessarylinkage. Pins 68 extend laterally from the throttle breaker arm and intotracks 69 which are formed on the opposing edges of the guides 65. Thepins cooperate with the tracks for permitting outward swinging movementof the throttle breaker arm at any point along the height of the guides.

The operation of the invention will now be set forth. When a vehiclemotor is started and the proper gears meshed to cause the vehicle tomove, the shaft within the cable I will be caused to roate. Thisrotative movement will, of course, be transmitted to the governor shaftl5. While the vehicle is moving slowly, the governor shaft will be, ofcourse, rotated slowly. The result of slow rotation w ll be that t"eweights of the governor weight elements 28 will retain the normalpositions. The spring 26 will effectively retain the collars 23 and 25in the full separated positions. Before progressing further with thedescription of operation, let it be assumed that the governor is set tooperative when the vehicle reaches a speed of thirty-five miles perhour. When the vehicle approaches this speed, the governor weights 29 ofthe elements 28 will be shifted outwardly by centrifugal force, and thisoutward shifting movement will cause the collar 25 to move toward thecollar 23, on the shaft l5. This movement will, of course, be againstthe tension of the spring 26. The disk 34 will, of course, be moved withthe collar, and when the vehicle reaches the speed of thirty-five milesan hour, the disk will engage the contact member 36 and spring saidcontact member toward the contact member 31, with the result that thecontact 38 will be closed. Closing of the contacts will close theelectric circuit through the Wires 43 and the vehicle battery to themagnet coil 53. Upon energization of the magnet coil, the plunger 55will be shifted against the tension of the spring 51 with the resultthat the stem 59 will beshifted toward the solenoid magnet coil.Shifting of the stem 59 will cause the ball 6! to engage the cover plate64, at a point along the length of the slot 62, with the result that tharm 63 will be swung away from the wall 48 and about the pins 66. Theconnection between the throttle rod elements 66 and 61 will then bebroken, with the result that the throttle rod element 66 will bepermitted to drop, within the guides 65, for moving the carburetorthrottl arm to idling position. The vehicle will, obviously, be causedto reduce speed.

Attention is particularly called to the fact that, before the vehiclemay be again accelerated, it will be necessary to allow the throttle rodelements to assume full inoperative position. That is to say, thethrottle rod element 61 must be in its lowermost position. When thisposition is reached, it will be possible for the throttle breaker arm 63to return to operative position between the elements 66 and 61. In orderto facilitate this return movement, the arm 63 is formed with a curvedupper inner end portion 10. After the throttle breaker arm has beenallowed to return to operative position, the vehicle may be speeded upto the predetermined set speed.

The speed at which the governor will be brought into operation may bepredetermined readily, this being done merely by shifting the positionof the switch 35 within the slot I4. That is to say, when the switch ismoved so that the contact members are relatively near the disk 34, ininoperative position, the device will be brought into operation at arelatively slow speed. It is obvious that, if the switch is moved in theopposite direction in the slot, for disposing the contacts farther awayfrom the disk 34, the device will not be brought into operation untilthe vehicle has reached a relatively high speed.

It is desired to mention the fact that I have shown no wiring diagram.The reason for this is that such a, diagram is believed unnecessary inview of the fact that the contact members 36 and 31, the terminals ofthe coil 53, and the terminals of a batter are all connected in series.

It is believed that, in view of the foregoing description, theconstruction and operation of my improved governor will now bethoroughly understood.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a, governor, a carburetor control unit including a housing havinga front wall, guides on the front wall, throttle rod elements havingopposed end portions slidable in the guides, a throttle breaker armslidable between the guides and between the throttle rod elements, andmeans within the housing and operable for displacing the breaker armwhereby the connection between the throttle rod elements will be brokenand one of said elements will be permitted to shift for closing athrottle.

2. In a governor, a carburetor control unit including a housing having afront wall, guides on the front Wall, throttle rod elements havingopposed end portions slidable in the guides, a throttle breaker armslidable between the guides and between the throttle rod elements, andmeans within the housing and operable for displacing the breaker armwhereby the connection between the throttle rod elements will be brokenand one of said elements will be permitted to shift for closing athrottle, said means including a solenoid magnet having a coil, aplunger, a stem extending between the plunger and the throttle breakerarm, and a spring normally urging the plunger to outermost position withthe throttle breaker arm in position between the throttle rod elements,said solenoid magnet being energizable for shifting the plunger and stemand displacing the throttle breaker arm.

3. In a governor, a carburetor control unit havinga housing formed witha front wall, guides on the front wall, throttle control elements havingopposed end portions slidable in the guides, a throttle breaker armslidable in the guides and hingedly mounted at one end for outwardswinging movement, said arm having a slot and being normally disposedbetween the ends of the throttle rod elements, a solenoid magnet withinthe housing and having a magnet coil, a plunger slidable in the coil andhaving a stem terminating in a ball, said ball being located in theslot, and means overlying the slot and retaining the ball in placetherein, said ball being slidable longitudinally within the slot, saidthrottle breaker arm and throttle rod elements being shiftable forcontrolling fuel flow to a carburetor, said solenoid magnet beingenergizable for shifting the plunger and stem for swinging the throttlebreaker arm from beneath one of the throttle rod elements whereby one ofsaid throttle rod elements will shift to throttle closing position,

ANTHONY B. RAUSCH.

